John Brown (also spelt Browne)
Born 21st June 1879, Belfast Barracks, Belfast
Son of James Brown and Ellen Brown, formerly O’Brien
Husband of Ada Mountier Brown nee Langley, married 3rd May 1906, St Saviour’s Church, Denmark Park, Camberwell
Joined the City of London Police 24th August 1905
Grey eyes, brown hair, fresh complexion, 6ft and a quarter inch in height
Warrant Number 7410
Collar Number B140
Served at Snow Hill Division
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Company Sergeant Major, 21st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Service Number R/10826
Initially enlisted for Home Service only, but in March 1916 Brown changed his terms of enlistment to “General Service” to enable him to serve overseas with the 21st Battalion.
Killed in action between 5th and 10th October 1916
No known grave
Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France and on the City of London Police WWI Memorial at Wood Street Police Station
Extract from references provided for John Brown upon his application to join the City of London Police (Source: City of London Police Personal File held at the London Metropolitan Archives):
“Corporal John Brown of the Military Foot Police has been known to me nearly the whole of his lifetime, and I am pleased to testify that he is thoroughly honest, sober and respectable”. Rev Gunning, St Peter’s, Winchester, 20th April 1905